The NSCC (National Specialist Contractor Confederation) recently prepared a document clarifying the SSIP (Safety Schemes in Procurement) to try to alleviate the bureaucracy and duplication associated with pre-qualification which costs the industry millions of pounds every year. 

Accreditation by an SSIP member scheme demonstrates that a company has met the HSE-recognised standard for the first stage of pre-qualification.   Mutual recognition by other SSIP member schemes gives contractors and clients the confidence that their sub-contractors have already satisfied stage one, allowing them to focus on the project-specific requirements at stage two.  For sub-contractors, SSIP means filling in fewer duplicate questionnaires, saving both time and money.

 The full NSCC guidance can be found here